Pest Types

All information in this section of our website is taken from the Pest Fact Sheets which are published on the Harrow County Council website. We would like to thank the Harrow County Council Web Team for their kind permission allowing us to reproduce these fact sheets.

Ants

The common varieties of ants generally live outdoors in grass, walls or under paving, but can and do travel widely in search of food. They can be a problem in our homes and commercial premises, especially if the sweet sugary foods which they are so often attracted to, are left open to them. They are not dangerous, though they often become a nuisance. As with all insects, they may spread small numbers of germs around food areas, so special care with cleaning is important while they are present.

Life Cycle
Ants live in groups and different types of ants are responsible for certain duties within the colony. The worker garden ants (sterile females about 3mm long) have the responsibility of building and extending the nest, looking after larvae and foraging for food. It is whilst they look for this food that they can be a nuisance to us. The queens (fertile females about 15mm long) usually remain in the nest. In early July, winged fertile male and female ants are produced and between July and September they swarm from the nest and mate in mid-air.

After mating, the males perish but each fertilised female sheds her wings and digs a hole in the soil, where she will spend the winter. In late spring, this queen emerges and lays her eggs, which hatch in 3-4 weeks. The larvae are fed by the queen until fully grown when they pupate and eventually hatch and become the first brood of worker ants. The entire cycle takes about 2 months to complete. These workers then take over the food gathering and brood rearing duties. They usually feed on nectar from flowers, seeds, small dead insects and sugary secretions produced by greenfly. Under favourable conditions, a nest may persist for several years. If worker ants are causing a nuisance in the house it may be necessary to destroy them.

Control
The first thing to be done is to find the nest or nests. Watch the ants as they enter and leave the house, preferably on a hot day when they are most active. They will tend to follow set trails back to the nest. If you have difficulty, put down some sweet food (eg jam) near some ants. Large numbers will then be attracted and can be traced back to their nest. Nests are usually outside the building in sandy soil, especially under paving or walls, within a few metres of the house. The only visible sign is often a scattering of very fine soil around the entrance hole.

If the nest can be exposed then it can most easily be destroyed by pouring a large quantity (several kettles-full) of boiling water into it. If it is protected (eg under paving) or if you would damage plants by using boiling water, then insecticides can be used. Most garden centres, hardware stores and large chemists will stock a suitable range of products. Make sure the one you select is labelled for use against ants and follow the instructions carefully. Note that the powders are generally better than aerosols for a prolonged effect. It is usually best to sprinkle a thin covering of the powder over the nest area and around the entrance hole.

Find the entry points
Occasionally, it is not possible to find the ants' nest. In this case, you should watch the ants carefully to see where they are getting into the house. Common entry points are around the floor and window frames, ventilators, airbricks and waste pipes. In these areas you may use an ant killing bait. If this is supplied as a tube of liquid syrup then it is applied daily to a horizontal waterproof surface such as a coin or ceramic tile which is then protected from rain. Some manufacturers supply the substance with a convenient protective bait station. The ants will be attracted to the sweet yet toxic bait, take it back to their nest and share it with the others. After several days' use, you should see a reduction in numbers but it may take a couple of weeks to be fully effective. Note that with this method it is essential for the ants to get back to the nest with the jelly, so do not kill them first.

Another method is to use a crawling insect powder at the common entry points to the house. This will kill the ants touching it but may take a long time before it affects the main colony, so you must be persistent in its use. A similar result can be achieved by using a special varnish or lacquer containing insecticides. This is sprayed onto skirting boards, hard surfaces around windows, etc. It dries to a hard clear film that will kill insects walking over it for a long period.

Repairs
Finally, an attempt should be made to seal up any unnecessary cracks and openings that are allowing the ants to enter the room. Mastic which dries to a flexible rubbery texture is often better than a brittle hard plaster.

If you are unable to deal with a common pest problem satisfactorily, then contact Commercial Pest Control London. Our rates are competitive and we will get the job done fast and efficiently. For a professional service call Commercial Pest Control London today on freephone 0800 043 2056